IOWA REPUBLICAN SENATOR JONI ERNST IS WORKING WITH A PAIR OF DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES ON A BILL TO ADDRESS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT IN PRISONS. SHE TOLD THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE EFFORT WITH CORY BOOKER OF NEW JERSEY AND RICHARD BLUMENTHAL OF CONNECTICUT WOULD CLOSE WHAT SHE CALLED A LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSENT LOOPHOLE. TOPICS DURING WEDNESDAY’S HEARING COVERED A VARIETY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORMS. ERNST SHARED HER THOUGHTS ON THE VIDEO OF GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH, WHICH HAS CAUSED A WIDE-RANGING PUSH FOR CHANGE. ERNST ADDED THAT SHE WOULD LIKE MORE SUPPORT FOR POLICE IN THE FORM OF MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS AND DEESCALATION SPECIALISTS.
IN CEDAR RAPIDS TOMORROW, A DEMONSTRATION IS PLANNED TO COINCIDE WITH THE ANNUAL JUNETEENTH COMMEMORATION. LEADERS OF FRIDAY’S MARCH WILL ALSO MEET WITH CEDAR RAPIDS OFFICIALS SEEKING A VARIETY OF CHANGES TO CITY AND POLICE POLICY, INCLUDING DE-CRIMINALIZING POSSESSION OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA AND PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO DIVERSITY AND EQUITY EFFORTS IN THE CITY. EACH YEAR, JUNETEENTH COMMEMORATES THE FINAL LIBERATION OF SLAVES AS THE CIVIL WAR CONCLUDED.
PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE TAKEN ON SEVERAL NORTHEAST IOWA ROAD PROJECTS. THE IOWA NORTHLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (OR INRCOG) WILL HOST THE ONLINE SESSIONS NEXT TUESDAY AND THURSDAY. MORE DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE AT INRCOG.ORG.
ONE OF THE SUSPECTS IN THE DECEMBER 2018 MURDER OF CHRIS BAGLEY IS CHANGING HIS PLEA AS PART OF AN AGREEMENT WITH PROSECUTORS. DREW WAGNER WILL AVOID A FIRST DEGREE MURDER COUNT AND INSTEAD PLEAD GUILTY TO VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND SEVERAL OTHER CHARGES. THE ARRANGEMENT COMES WITH A SENTENCE OF 10 TO 37 YEARS IN PRISON. WAGNER IS ONE OF FOUR MEN HELD IN CONNECTION WITH BAGLEY’S DISAPPEARANCE AND DEATH IN CEDAR RAPIDS. AUTHORITIES SAY THE KILLING WAS RELATED TO A DRUG DISTRIBUTION RING.
U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY DAN BROUILLETTE WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL WHILE MAKING A VISIT TO CENTRAL IOWA. BROUILLETTE EXPLAINED WHY HE WAS VISITING THE AMES NATIONAL LABORATORY. BROUILLETTE SAYS ADVANCES IN RESEARCH AT THE CRITICAL MATERIALS INSTITUTE WILL HELP THE COUNTRY BE LESS RELIANT ON CHINA FOR SOME RESOURCES. CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY USES LITHIUM AND COBALT, AND THE CRITICAL MATERIALS INSTITUTE IS WORKING ON WAYS TO REUSE AND RECYCLE THOSE ELEMENTS. THE AMES NATIONAL LABORATORY IS LOCATED AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY.
LINN COUNTY IS SPENDING OVER 28 THOUSAND DOLLARS ON EIGHT HISTORIC PRESEVATION PROJECTS. THE GRANTS WERE ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY. THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO UPGRADE OR REPAIR NOTABLE BUILDINGS, DIGITIZE MID-20TH CENTURY VIDEO FEATURING THE AREA, AND RESTORE A HISTORIC LINN COUNTY MAP HELD BY THE TROY MILLS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
INVESTORS ARE SUING THE COMPANY BEHIND TEST IOWA. UTAH-BASED CODIAGNOSTICS INCORPORATED MANAGES THE CORONAVIRUS SCREENING PROGRAM. THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS COMPANY LEADERS OVERSTATED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COVID-19 TESTS. THE CASE WILL CENTER ON WHETHER STATEMENTS ABOUT THE CO-DIAGNOSTICS PROCESS WERE KNOWINGLY MISLEADING. WHEN THE YEAR BEGAN, THE COMPANY’S STOCK WAS TRADING AT UNDER ONE DOLLAR PER SHARE BUT SHOT UP TO A HIGH OF OVER 23 DOLLARS LAST MONTH. THIS WEEK, CO-DIAGNOSTICS HAS BEEN TRADING IN A 15 TO 18 DOLLAR RANGE.
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN AUTHORITY TO RE-OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNDER TIGHTLY-MONITORED CONDITIONS. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH ANAMOSA CARE CENTER ADMINISTRATOR CASI STRUBE ABOUT THE CAUTIOUS APPROACH MANY NURSING HOMES ARE TAKING. A MULTI-STAGE PLAN IS REQUIRED BEFORE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES CAN ALLOW FAMILY MEMBERS OR OTHERS TO VISIT RESIDENTS. THAT CAN LEAD TO UNCERTAINTY AS THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS DATA IS ANALYZED.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO STAND FOR ELECTION TO ITS FARM SERVICE AGENCY COUNTY COMMITTEES. MEMBERS OF THOSE GROUPS HELP DETERMINE HOW USDA PROGRAMS ARE MANAGED LOCALLY. NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY AUGUST 1ST. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THE FARM SERVICE AGENCY WEBSITE. (ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD BY MAIL THIS FALL).
